Melchior Adam (born in Grottkau , Silesia - 1622) was a German literature historian of the 17th century.

Adam visited the college in Brzeg, then studied on various academies with financial support of his benefactor Joachim von Berg . He was called in 1601 to teach as magister at the municipal school of Heidelberg, and later became co-rector and professor at the same institution. He died on 23 March (or 26 December) 1622.

Publications

His major achievement consisted of various literary historian biographies, which have been printed in Stuttgart and Heidelberg in five volumes: Philosophers (incl. philologists, poets, mathematicians and physicists), German Theologians, Foreign Theologians, Jurists and Politicians and Medics. The discussed German (with the exception of vol. three) personalities were sorted chronologically by the date of their death - these dates lie mostly between 1420 and 1620. His sources were biographic texts, personal records, funeral orations, letters and various academic records.

It is mentioned that he discussed the Lutheran theologians in a deprecative manner, as he himself was Calvinist.

Sources

• Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie - online version